Category > Iquitos

Hot, steamy Iquitos was one of our last stops in Peru. After five days on a stinky boat surrounded by hundreds of other sweaty bodies, we were glad to set foot on (relatively) solid land again. Iquitos is the largest city in the world which is not reachable by any road. The only way in (or out) is by river on the Amazon or Ucayali, or a plane over miles of thick jungle. It’s an awesome feeling being surrounded by unspoiled jungle in every direction for literally hundreds of kilometers before the next city of any size. Unbroken only by thatched riverside villages, the occasional sugar cane field, or banana plantations, the jungle literally swallows you up. Makes you feel so small and insignificant… Lost out in the middle of such a beautifully wild environment.

Since Iquiotos is the largest city in the world, which is not connected by any road, anyone, who wants to travel from Pucallpa to Iquitos, has two ways: you can either fly or take the boat. We opted for the four-day cruise. This, one imagines will be quite an adventure, and yes, even a little romantic... at least before. One has in mind a boat, like the idyllic steam ships from the 19. Century, traveling up and down the Mississippi River. One imagines hammocks hung lazily on deck, swinging back and forth in the breeze, while he gazes on the wild forest to the left and right gliding along the river. Unfortunately, the reality is quite different, and looking back actually leaves a shudder for a moment.